Pecan Squares Americana Recipes

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar. Gradually add flour, mixing until blended. Pat into an ungreased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes or until golden., In another small bowl, beat the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt until smooth. Pour over crust; sprinkle with pecans. Bake 40-45 minutes longer or until set. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13x9-inch pan, and line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two long sides. Butter the parchment. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt, and pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the egg yolk and pulse to evenly distribute its moisture. The mixture should just hold together when you squeeze it in your hand. Add up to 2 tablespoons ice water, if necessary, but don't let the mixture get too wet: It should still be somewhat sandy.
• Tip the crumbs out into the prepared pan. Use your fingers or the flat bottom of a measuring cup to press the crumbs up the sides about 1/4 inch to create a border. Press the remaining crumbs down to an even thickness. Bake the crust until light golden brown and set, about 40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack while assembling the topping. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey and salt and bring to a strong simmer over medium heat, whisking ingredients together once the butter has melted. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Stir in the nuts and combine well. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and spread it evenly, keeping it within the border as best as you can.
• Bake the bars until the caramel is thickened and just set, about 20 to 25 minutes (the caramel will continue to firm up when cooled). Transfer the pan to a rack to cool completely. Using the parchment paper, transfer to a cutting board to cut into equal pieces to serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 365 degrees F.
• While the pastry is cooling, combine the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, honey, and salt in a large pot over high heat. Boil for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and, at arm's length, carefully stir in the cream, being mindful of splatters.
• Add the pecans and mix thoroughly. Pour the filling evenly over the baked pastry. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the pastry flour and salt. Add the egg and egg yolk. Mix thoroughly.
• Press the dough evenly onto the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• To bake, cover the pastry with parchment paper and weigh it down with dried beans or pie weights (see Cook's Note*). Bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely before removing the beans and parchment paper.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the crust, beat the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, until light, approximately 3 minutes. Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the batter with the mixer on low speed until just combined. Press the dough evenly into an ungreased 18 by 12 by 1-inch baking sheet, making an edge around the outside. It will be very sticky; sprinkle the dough and your hands lightly with flour. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is set but not browned. Allow to cool.
• For the topping, combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, and zests in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat until the butter is melted, using a wooden spoon to stir. Raise the heat and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and pecans. Pour over the crust, trying not to get the filling between the crust and the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Cut into bars and serve.

Steps:

• Butter a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch jelly-roll pan and then line it with aluminum foil as follows: Turn the pan upside down.
• Center a piece of foil 18 to 19 inches long (12 inches wide) shiny side down over the pan; check the long sides to be sure there is the sameamount of overhang on each side.
• Fold down the sides and the corners to shape the foil.
• Remove the foil, turn the pan right side up, place the shaped foil in the pan, and press it carefully into place. Do not butter the foil.
• Place the prepared pan in the freezer (it is easier to spread this dough on a cold pan--. the coldness will make the dough cling to the pan).
• In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until it is softened.
• Add the sugar, and beat to mix well.
• Beat in the egg, salt, and lemon rind.
• Gradually add the flour and beat, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula, until the mixture holds together.
• Now you are going to line the pan with the dough; it is important that you have enough dough on the sides of the pan to reach generously to the top of the pan.
• It will work best and be easiest if you place the dough, one rounded teaspoonful at a time, around the sides of the pan, just pressing against the raised sides
• (I don't actually use teaspoons for this. It is. easiest to lift a generous mound of the dough, hold it. in your left hand, and use the fingers of your right. hand to break off teaspoon-size pieces.) Place the pieces about 1/2 to 1 inch apart.
• Then place the remaining dough the same way all over the rest of the bottom of the pan.
• Flour your fingertips (if. necessary) and start to press the mounds of dough, working up on the sides first and then the bottom, until you have formed a smooth layer all over the sides and bottom.
• There must not be any thin spots on the bottom or any low spots on the sides (it is best. if it comes slightly above the top). Take your time; it is important for this shell to be right. PATIENCE is the name of the game.
• With a fork, carefully prick the bottom at about 1/2-inch intervals.
• Chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
• Adjust a rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes. Watch it constantly.
• If the dough on the sides starts to slip down a bit, reach into the oven and press it with your fingertips or the back of a spoon to put it back into place (although this does. not seem to happen since I stopped buttering the. foil).
• If the dough starts to puff up, prick it gently with a cake tester to release trapped air and flatten the dough.
• (There have been times when it insisted on. puffing up, and it was a question of which one of us. would win. I did. Here's how: Place one or more pot holders on the puffed-up part for a few minutes. The. puffed-up dough will get the message and will know y) After 20 minutes, the edges of the dough will be lightly colored; the bottom will be pale but dry.
• Remove from the oven but do not turn off the heat.
• Prepare the topping: In a heavy 3-quart saucepan over moderately high heat, cook the butter and honey, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted.
• Add both sugars, stir to dissolve, bring to a boil, and let boil without stirring for exactly 2 minutes. Without waiting, remove from the heat, stir in the heavy cream and then the pecans
• (Although the original recipe says to do the next step immediately,. I have recently decided it is better to wait a bit.). Wait 5 minutes.
• Then, with a large slotted spoon, place most of the pecans evenly over the crust.
• Then drizzle the remaining mixture over the pecans so it is distributed evenly-- watch the corners.
• Use a fork or a spoon to move around any nuts that are piled too high and place them in any empty or thin spots. (It will look like there is not enough of the thin syrupy. mixture, but it is OK.) Bake at 375 degrees with the rack one-third up from the bottom for 25 minutes.
• (Now you will see that. syrupy mixture has spread out and boiled up and filled. in any hollows.) Cool to room temperature-do not chill.
• Cover with a large rack or a cookie sheet, hold them firmly together, turn the pan and rack or sheet over, and remove the pan and the foil.
• If the bottom of the dough looks very buttery you may pat it with a paper towel if you wish, but it is not really necessary, the dough absorbs it as it stands.
• Cover with a rack or sheet and turn over again, leaving the cake right side up.
• It is easiest to cut the cake into neat pieces if it is chilled first; chill it briefly in the refrigertor. Then transfer it to a large cutting board. Use a ruler and toothpicks to mark the cake into quarters. Use a long and heavy, sharp knife, and cut straight down (not back and forth).
• These are very rich, and although most people like them cut into 48 bars, I know several cateresses who make them almost as small as lump sugar. I have made them larger because I wrap them individually in clear cellophane and it is more fun to wrap cookies that are not too small.